Method of refrigeration



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N. B. WALES METHOD 0F REFRIGERATION Filed April 25, 1926 0 l'. R. e 7 3 M 5 4 4 4 WM .M Z4 2l. .l H l 4 4 m M, .1.. ab M\\\ \\\u y I \\|\l.\\" .Il B ...4. l\u. 4 3 5. 3 -huh llll l l l l l l l l I I I Il 5 H2M nr 1.,.- 3 3 3 WHW 4 2 3 o 3 3 2 q .u [21ST- 0 l 5 4 5 l 4 O. Jl

Jan. 11, 1927.'

Jan. `11 1927.

N. B. WALES METHOD 0F REFRIGERATION Sud/bn @fu/w.

IN VEN TOR.

/Varf/fw/EL .B. WALL-'61 Jan. 11,1927.`

N. B. WALES METHOD oF REFRIGERATION 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 23, 1926 IN VENTOR /V/J THn/v/EL um s.

f BY Y W ATTORNEY Patented dan; 11, 1927.

tlNiTED STATE@ NATHANML E. 'WAIE 0F NEW YGBK, lill "2.

METHID 01E RIEFRIGEETIN,

Application filed April 2d, 11926. derlal No. ldltlo 'llhis invention relates generally to refrigeration systems of the compression type and more particularly to new and vimproved means and a method of circulating the fluids used through the system.

lt is a general object of the invention to provide a refrigeration system which will embody the advantages of boththe Hooded and the dry expansion systems without the usual limitations of either type.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration system which is especially adapted for long continued operation without service or attention.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a high-speed compressor having a special construction designed to produce a high volumetric efficiency and handling without leakage, a brine-lubricant circulating liquid and a refrigerant of ammonia, propaneor any other refrigerant having a relatively high vapor pressure.

ln order to carry out my invention it is necessary to use a circulating1 duid vehicle for the refrigerant which is a non-alosorlaent ofthe refrigerant and which possesses a1 suhstantially diii'erence in specific gravity, preferahly heavier, with relation to the refrigerant. 'lhis fluid vehicle or secondary fluid must also possess positive lubricatingM qualities and low freezing and light viscosity characteristics.

With these requirements in mind ll have found that propane is well adapted for use as the refrigerating medium while ethylene glycol provides a satisfactory circulating1 liquid vehicle which l will hereinafter refer to as a brine-lubricant. This chemical has approximately doulole the specific gravity of the refrigerant, has lulorimitingiqualities, is non-absorbent and has relatively lowfreeaing and viscosity characteristics.

*Other features of the invention will he hereinafter referred to;

ln the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention has heen selected for illustration,

Figure 1 isa view in vertical section of a refrigeration device embodying" the invention.

Figure '2 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus showing, the path of movement of the circulating liquids.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section and on an enlarged scale of a compressor unit forming part of the invention.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section of the piston element luesd inthe com ressor..

.Figure 5 is a face view of the dis valve element used in the compressor.

Referring to the drawings for a more *detailed description of the invention, a refrigcrating apparatus is shown in Figure 1 which includes a compressor 10, an operating motor V11, a condenser coil 12, and a vaporizing or refrigerating chanoloer 13. y

The compressor 10 includes a piston 14; arranged'to he reciprocated in a cylinder 15 through a pitman rod connection 16 with y the driven shaft 17 which is rotated by the motor 11- at a relatively high` speed approximating i750 R. P. M. With this arrangement the velocity of travel of the piston exceeds the velocity imparted to the lorinelubricant hy gravity and hence'a film of brine-lubricant at all times covers the surface of the piston to simultaneously provide lubrication and a sealing1 action.

The cylinder 15 is mounted within a charnloer 18 and is provided with two series of inlet ports 19 and 20, the lower ports 19 communicating with an annular space 21 surrounding the cylinder and having cornmunication by way of the pipe 22 with the interior of the chamber. 18 at a vpoint alcove the hrine-luhricant. rlille upper ports 20 communicate with an annular channel 23 surrounding; the cylinder and-having coininunication in turn through a port 2li with a sump 25 in which `brine-lu'fhricant 2t collects the lower end of the chamloer 18,

lid

a control member 27 can he adjusted to re ulate the amount of liquid passing throng the port 2d.

rihe lower end of the cylinder 15 is nor-- mally closed hy. a dish valve member 28 against the lower surface of which a spring 29 supported loy a closurecap 3U exerts pressure. An exhaust port 31 provides for the delivery of fluid from the compressor cylinder 15 to the condenser coil 12.v

l in order to reduce the relative back pressure on the up-strolre of the rapidly moving piston and, at the same time, facilitate the entrance of gaseous refrigerant into the space heneath the piston, a small valve 56 .is mounted in the lower end of the piston in controlling relation to a passageway 5'? leadingI downwardly therethrough. The

valve 'opens on the `tip-stroke .of the piston to permit esto dow into the chamher 18 above the piston to the space beneath.

ldd

l or suction stroke of the piston first-uncovers the ports 19 whereupon gaseousrefrigerant flows from the chamber 18 through the pipe '22 and channel 21 through the ports 19y into the cylinder 15 beneath the piston. A further upward movement of l the piston-uncovers the ports 20 whereupon a predetermined lquantity of the brine-lubrlcant suiicient to lill the residual piston clearance s ace in the cylinder, enters the cylinder. n the down or', compression stroke of the piston the lrefrigerant and a port-ion of the brine-lubricant 'drawn into4 the cylinder are forced by the valve 28 and through the exhaust ports 31 into the condenser coil 12.

The condenser coil 12, for the sake of compactness is placed in encircling relation to the horizontal compressor drive shaft 17 and the'motor shaft 32. A flexible coupling 33 connects the two shafts and a fan 34 is mounted on the shaft 17 and rotated thereby to cool the windings of the condenser coil 12. The helical turns of the condenser coil 12 are attened in cross-section in order to provide an increased superficial area toaid in cooling and also to reduce the volume therein since the horizontal coil will have pools of liquid refrigerant formed in its convolutions with 4 brine-lubricant at' the lower portion of each convolution. Since the coils are flattened in cross-section, a slight increment in gaseous volume of the fluids iiowing through the coil will carry forward the liquids settling in the base portion of the coils into a heat interchanger coil 35 and expansion valve 36 through which the refrigerant passes to the vaporizing chamber 13.

The expansion valve 36 is of a conven tional type in which a valve member 37 is held to its seat by a predetermined pressure of liquid refrigerant received from the condenserl coil 12 thereagainst. A spring 38 unseats the valve and `permits liquid refrigerant to pass into the discharge pipe 39 intermittently as pressure conditions on opposite sides differentiate to a predetermined degree.

.The vaporizln'g chamber 13 into which the pipel 39' extends and presents its dischargeend 40. in anupward direction adjacent the bottom ofthe. chamber, is filled to a level 41 with a mass of the brine-lubricant 2.6. It will be seen that bubbles 42 of the liquid refrigerant by reason of their relal'tively low specific gravity, rise through the mass of the brine-lubricant, vanorizing as they rise, and, at the same time setting up a circulation in the mass-of brine-lubricant as indicated by the arrows in Figure -2 of the drawings. l The completion-of the vaporiaatgi'on of the refrigerant takes place at the surface'of the brine-lubricant. It will be seen that the circulation set up in the i mass of brine-lubricant by the rise of bubbles therethrough assists in a quick chilling of the mass with a correspondingly rapid efrigeration of the contents of the trays .The gasified refrigerant, with the contained portion of brine lubricant, which is maintained in active circulation throughout `the system, is returned to the upper end of the crank case chamber 18, of the compressor through the suction action of the compressor by way of the suction return pipe 44. The liquid brine-lubricant is delivered from the discharge end 45 of the pipe 44 into a sump 46 and finds its way through a channel 47 and a pipe 48 into lubricatin reiation to the shaft 17, cra pin 49 an also wrist pin 50.

In risin through Athe return suction pipe l44 the cold gas cools the liquid 51 in which the coil 52, the pipe 35 leading from the condenser coil 12 to the expansion valve 36, is also. immersed. The heat interchanger thus provided cools the incoming refrigerant and brine-lubricant. i

The heat interchange chamber provides a convenient location for a thermostat 54 arranged to control lthe operation of the refrigeration system as a whole. The heat interchange liquid 51 is preferably a mass of brine-lubricant or ethylene glycol and the coils-of the pipes 35 and 44 are immersed. The base of the thermostat 54 is also immersed in the liquid 151. The heat interchange chamber 55 which is thus provided is located at the top of the refrigerator and is also exposed to atmospheric temperature so that it acts as a magnified temperature dierence chamber as compared to the vaporizing chamber proper. The result is that a rise of only two de rees in temperature within the vaporizer c amber will show a ten degree rise of temperature in the heat interchange chamber 55. This differentiation assists the thermostat to maintain the refrigerator' at an extremely even'temperature ecause of the relative magnification of temperature differences under which the thermostat operates.

What is claimed is: 4

1. Ehe method of refrigeration which consists in compressing a volatile refrigerant, condensing the refrigerant, volatilizing the refrigerant in' the presence of a non-absorbent lubricating iuid thereb cooling said liuid, utilizing the cold non-a sorbent lubricating fluid as a brine, returning the volatilized refrigerant' to the compressor and entraining therewith a predetermined amount Vof Athe non-absorbent iuid to lubricate the 'com ressor.

2. The me hod -of refrigeration which consists in compressing a volatile refriger-l ant, condensing the refrigerant, evaporating the telfroigerant while in cooling proximity to a y of substantially non-absorbent lubricating fluid, thereby cooling the said Huid, utilizing said fluid as a brine, return- 5 ing the vaporized refrigerant to be recompressed in the compressor and drawing in cold non-absorbent uid .to lubricate the compressor.

Signed at New-York, in the county and 10 State of NewYork, this 10th day of April,

therewith a predetermined volume of the -NATHANIEL B. WALES. 

